WALES — The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office determined that a weekend fire in Wales that destroyed two vehicles and damaged a mobile home was the result of electrical problems in a Chevrolet pickup parked just feet from the residence.

Anthony Siderio, assistant fire chief of the Wales Fire Department, said that crews were called to the home of Robert Bolduc at 99 Wheeler Hill Road about 2:37 a.m. Saturday for a motor vehicle fire. He said that by the time he arrived minutes later, a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup and a 2009 Kia  were engulfed in flames.

Just as crews arrived on scene, Siderio said the heat from the vehicle fires caught the side of the mobile home and porch on fire. Siderio said the vehicles were parked less than 5 feet from the mobile home.

“They were sleeping and heard a loud explosion,” Siderio said of Bolduc and his wife. “By the time they’d gotten up and got out, both vehicles were already burning.”

Crews had the blaze knocked down within minutes. More than 30 firefighters from Wales, Sabattus, Leeds, Monmouth and Greene remained on scene for more than two hours. Siderio said the fire caused between $50,000 and $60,000 damage.

Siderio said that the Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the cause of the fire stemmed from an electrical problem in the engine compartment of the Silverado.

He said state fire investigators said this was not the first Silverado truck fire they’ve looked into. An Internet search revealed there were at least two recalls on 2005 Chevrolet Silverados for problems that could lead to fires. Investigators said they had not determined if Bolduc’s truck had one of those problems.